Posts Tagged ‘Lake Lily Park’

A day in Maitland, Florida, located in Orange County, and just east of Orlando. The best way to start any day in Maitland is to wake up in your comfortable guest room at Thurston House. Get dressed, grab a cup of coffee in the dining room and head to a rocker on the wraparound porch. The birds will entertain you while the sun comes up over Lake Eulalia. Enjoy your fabulous full breakfast, then head out to explore. Arrive right at 10am at the Audubon Birds of Prey Center and you’ll be there to see them bringing the resident birds out for their daily tethering. The guides will fill you in on the history of each of their charges and how they came to live at the center. After that, stroll around the rest of the facility, enjoying the variety of birds of prey in their huge cages.

Go left out of the center and wind along Lake Sybelia for a few minutes to arrive at your next stop, The Maitland Art Center founded as an art colony in 1937 by Andre Smith. It is one of 5 museums located within a mile of each other. Enjoy the small art gallery, shop the museum store for one of a kind gifts, stroll around the gardens and grounds, peek in at the artists in residence honing their crafts, and be amazed at the beautiful outdoor chapel with its Mayan courtyard area.

Your next stop is just next door, the Maitland Historical Museum. It houses permanent and changing exhibits related to Maitland’s history from its founding to the present day. Don’t miss the Telephone Museum, housed in back of the history museum. Their exhibits detail telephone technology through the years.

The last stop would be at Lake Lily Park, the Waterhouse Residence Museum (circa 1884) along with the Carpentry Shop (circa 1883) Museum. The Waterhouse Residence was the home of pioneer settler and builder William H. Waterhouse and his family. It has been beautifully restored to reflect the way of life enjoyed by a middle class family during the late Victorian period. The carpentry shop was the site of Mr. Waterhouse’s woodworking and construction business.

This route you can easily walk, as well as, drive, depending on your abilities. If you get hungry, enjoy food at several local establishments along the way, including Athena Chicken, Antonio’s Café, or So Napa Grille.